Freight lowering and hoisting apparatus.



J. L. SAUTERS.

FREIGHT LOWERING AND HOISTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1009.

Patented Jan.31, 1911.

2 SHEBTBSHBBT 1.

J. L. SAUTERS. FREIGHT LOWERING AND HOISTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1909.

982,881 I 1 Patented Jan. 31,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOSEPH L. SAUTERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FREIGHT LOWERING AND HOISTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 31, 1911.

Application filed March 24, 1909. Serial No. 485,423.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr L. SAUTERS, citizen of the United States,residing at ()hicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Freight Lowering andHoisting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to freight lowering and hoisting apparatus, andbelongs more particularly with those associations of mechanicalcontrivances by which goods of any nature may be lowered from higher tolower floors of storage or warehouses, the machinery being operatedusually by the weight of the goods, and the rapidity of the descent iscontrolled by a suitable governing device. Incidentally, the samemachinery is adapted for the application of power whereby goods may beraised when desired.

The object of this invention is the production of apparatus of thecharacter stated having special construction of the several parts, and aparticular arrangement of those parts, enabling the whole to be moreeconomically installed, and more conveniently operated, and in which thevarious parts are less subjected to excessive wear during use, than inany like machinery with which I am acquainted.

The construction and arrangement constituting this invention by whichthe abovementioned object is accomplished, is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 represents a side view of allparts assembled. Fig. 2 is a front view. Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofa portion of the carrier at one side, showing the cable clips, also thelink and brace with which each side of the sets of carrier arms areprovided. Fig. at is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of theclutch shown in Fig. 1, taken on the broken line 5--5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5is a cross-section of the receiving table showing the rollers, and takenon line 66 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing aportion of the end of one roller in section, and one side rail of thetable also in section. The trunnion is shown in engagement with the siderail. Fig. 7 is a cross-section of the roller on broken line 8--8 ofFig. 6. Fig. 8 is a cross-section on line 99 of Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a partlongitudinal section of one of the cable clips, and a horizontalcross-section of one of the vertical guide rails. Fig. 10 is a frontview of one of the cable clips showing the curved lips. Fig. 11 is asection lengthwise of one of the cable clips constructed to be used tojoin the ends of the cable. Fig. 12 is a front view of the cable clipshown in Fig. 11. The broken line 11-11 of Fig. 12 is'that upon whichthe section shown in Fig. 11 is taken. Fig. 13 is a cross-section on thebroken line 1010 of Fig. 11. Fig. 1 1 is a sectional view of the cableclips and link with which each side of the sets of carrier arms areprovided. The section is taken lengthwise of the link.

Throughout the drawings and description the same characters are employedto refer to the same parts.

Considering the drawings, letters A and A, mark the upper groovedsheaves on shaft (1. The lower grooved sheaves are des ignated byletters B, and B, and are borne by shaft 6. The cables are marked C andC. The bearings D support shaft a. The bearings b and b in which theshaft 7) is journaled are advantageously of the ordinary variety thatmay be adjusted up and down to'take up the slack of the cables in thecustomary manner. The sheaves are provided with transverse grooves orsockets, such as those marked a for sheave A, and I) for sheave B, inFig. 1. In those sockets the rope clips E and F fit, and the sockets andclips become engaged and disengaged as the invention is operated, aswill be readily understood. The clip E, as best shown in Fig. 12, isdesigned to join two ends of the cable instead of splicing these ends.Channels 0 and 6 having curved portions are provided to receive the endsof the cable. The curved lips c and c are upon the opposite end of theclip E from the mouths of the two channels. Boltholes c" and e, and therecess 0 permit the U-bolt to be closed upon the cable ends in thechannels e and c. The cable clip F, illustrated most clearly in Figs. 10and 11, is constructed with the curved lips f and f, the function ofwhich is to engage the guide rail G as shown. Each cable is providedwith two adjacent guide rails, but one of which G is shown for the cableC, in Fig. 2, while both guide rails G" and G" are shown for the cable Cin Fig. 1. All the guide rails have the same T-shaped crosssection shownin Fig.10. In addition to the curved lips f and f, the clip F has the U-bolt f and a recess f", into which the bolt may be placed when it isdesired to clamp the cable O and thus attach the clip. The clips areattached at intervals as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

To drive this invention in case of necessity the belt H is used from anysource of power. The common fixed and loose pulleys h and h are shown inFigs. 1 and 2, and driving belt H may be shifted from one to the fiotherto apply the power and to take it 0 To control the movement of the partsmanually, for example, when weight is being lowered, a strap brake J isprovided, and may be operated by means of lever j and drawrope j.

The carrier arms K are arranged in sets separated one from another asshown in Fig. 2. The upper and lower surfaces 73 and 7c of each arm isconcave to more securely retain packages, boxes or barrels of goodsplaced thereon, and at the back is an extended and weighted end theextensions of which prevent a box, for example, from being inadvertentlypushed off backward. It will be observed in Fig. 2 that the end 70connects the inner ends of all the carrier arms K of each set, whichhave no other connection with each other. For that reason also thecommon end 70 of the arms is extended and made particularly strong andheavy. Each of the'links 70 has two cable clips attached to it, marked71: and 7:1 in Figs. 1 and 15. The ends of cable 0 are fastened in thoseclips as illustrated in Fig. 15. From the junction of the link a brace74 extends forwardly and is connected with the outside carrier arm ofthe set. In Fig. 14, the inner end of brace 712 is shown in section atthe end of link 70 that is attached to the carrier arms K. It will beunderstood that the end of the brace 70 is rigidly secured either to theend of the link or to the clip k which is firmly secured to the link.The purpose of the brace 70 is to take part of the strain to which thejunction of the link and carrier arms is subjected when the arms areloaded. Each set of carrier arms has two links and braces one on eitherside, as shown in Fig. 2. The cable clips 70 and k are the same inconstruction as those marked E and F, and have like curved lips toengage the vertical guide rails, and hold arms K level.

To guard against too rapid descent when heavily loaded, this inventionincludes a governor comprising an annular fixed ring L, and revolvingweights M and N, at the free ends of bell-cranklevers m and a. Fig. 3best shows the parts of the governor mentioned, and Fig. 4 will aid thefurther explanation. To the longer arm of each bellcrank a spring isattached. The springs are referred to by letters m and n. The shorterend of each bell-crank is attached pivotally to the end of an eyebarsuch as that marked 17?, and the opposite or free end a of the eyebarrests against the radially movable stem of shoe P, which slides in theguide 0. The arrangement of those parts is likewise shown in Fig. 5. Itwill be readily understood, that an excess of speed throws the weights Mand N from the shaft a and causes them to exert a frictional pressure orcontact of greater or less force corresponding to the speed. Vhateverthe welght carr1ed, therefore, the speed of the descent cannot exceed.

a set rate for which the governor is adjusted. On the lower floor of thewarehouse, are placed the separated arms Q having inclined positions andso arranged that the descending carrier arms K will pass between them.It is believed to be clear that the package of goods borne by thedescending carrier arms will be left upon the inclined fixed arms Q downwhich it will slip and travel the incline R having the rollers r, untilthe delivery table or platform S is reached. 1

It will be noted that the link 70 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 isconnected with the carrier arms at a distance from their ends, and thatthe openings between the carrier arms extend both forward and in rear ofthe position of the link. It is believed to be clear, therefore, that ifa heavy body be placed between the links the pull upon the cables willbe substantially vertical and the carrier arms and link will not besubjected to any considerable tilting effect. Furthermore, as theopenings between the carrier arms extend well back of the link,opportunity is afforded for making the armsQ longer if desired therebyenabling a load of greater bulk to be caught by arms Q. It will beunderstood that the space between the cables is clear, and that thelength and inclination of the receiving arms Q may be varied asconditions demand. I

Upon the righthand side as illustrated in Fig. 1, the goods are lowered,and upon the lefthand side they may be raised upon the sets of carrierarms, power being obviously called for in the latter operation.

Having now described the construction of this invention and explainedthe mode of its operation, I claim 1. In a freight lowering and hoistingapparatus, the combination with the cables, of carriers comprising setsof arms arranged parallel with each other and rigidly joined together atone and the same end, and links having their ends connected with thecables, the said links having ends joined to the sides of said sets ofcarrier arms and at a distance from the joined ends of the said arms.

2. In a freight lowering and hoisting apparatus, the combination withthe cables, of carriers comprising sets of arms arranged said arms, andboth ends of the links being connected with the cables. 10

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH L. SAUTERS.

parallel with each other and rigidly joined together, each of said armsbeing widest at the ends and the upper and lower surfaces thereofconverging from the ends inwardly, and links having braces extending atright angles with the links and alongside of said sets of arms andconnected with said arms, the said links projecting perpendicularly toWitnesses:

HARRY C. BROWN, VVILLIAM J. GIBBS.

